Iberian Ring, Spain & Portugal 8 Days

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Transfer to the hotel. Evening transport to the Gran Vía district.

Welcome to Madrid

Upon arriving at the airport we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. You can enjoy free time until your tour starts. Please, check the informative posters placed at the hotel reception area which have all the information about the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers. Towards the end of the day, we provide transfers to the Egyptian Debod Temple, Plaza de Es­paña and Gran Via; a vibrant district where you can dine at your preferred restaurant: Indian, Chinese, Spanish and Middle Eastern are some of the options available.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Madrid city tour. Stroll through the Retiro Park.  Visit to the Las Ventas bullring. Evening transfer.   

The morning starts with a comprehensive tour through the centre of Madrid including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the city centre, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. A visit to Las Ventas Bullring (admission included) is next. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of the “corridas” at the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure.   At sunset we will provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different cuisines, such as local Spanish food, international and Chinese. Enjoy a pleasant dinner of your choice. At the end of the evening we will return to the hotel together. 

TODAY’S HIGLIGHTS: Lunch included. Entrance and local guide in the Alhambra (if you bought the trip with the entrance included). Evening transfer. 

We leave Madrid in the early morning. We travel to the south across La Mancha, stopping in PUERTO LAPICE, a ‘manchego’ village evoking the figure of Don Quixote. We will enter Andalusia via Despeñaperros, arriving in GRANADA. Lunch included. In the afternoon, if you bought the trip with the entrance included, we will visit with a local guide the immense  Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens, built in Arab times. In the evening we visit the Albaicín district of Granada, a World Heritage site along with the Alhambra, where you can enjoy dinner in the narrow winding streets of this captivating Medieval Moorish quarter. Tonight, you have the option to attend a flamenco dance show and the traditional neighbourhood of Sac­romonte.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The number of people authorised to visit the Alhambra is limited by law. The number of places assigned to tour operators is small and we are only given the quota one month before arrival.  Even if you buy the trip with the ticket included, we cannot guarantee a visit to the Alhambra (if these tickets cannot be offered, the Reales Alcázares in Seville, which is similar, would be visited and a sightseeing tour with a local guide of the city of Granada would also be offered). If the visit to the Alhambra is very important to you, we suggest you purchase the trip “without tickets” (the lowest price) and book your tickets on-line from the quota for individuals on the heritage website https://www.alhambra.org .

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Costa del Sol and the Andalusian village of Ronda.   

Departing from Granada and travelling towards the Costa del Sol, we will arrive in MALAGA and explore its historic city centre, with its cathedral and the Picasso Museum. After this we will continue along the coastal motorway with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. Stopping in PUERTO BANUS, Marbella, a pretty resort known as the playground of Europe’s rich and famous. In the afternoon we will continue through the hills until we reach RONDA, a very beautiful “white town” with its large gorge that divides it in two. Then we will travel onward to SEVILLE, arrival sometime in the late afternoon.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Guided visit with local expert in Seville. Boat trip along the river Guadalquivir. Night transfer to the historic centre.   

After breakfast, a local expert will guide you on a scenic visit of Seville featuring the Cathedral and its famous Giralda (bell tower), the banks of the Guadalquivir River, popu­lar neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana and the beautiful Plaza de España.  After the visit, we will include a boat trip along the river Guadalquivir, enjoying the panoramic views from the boat. Right after, you will have free time to explore at your own leisure. At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area (Calle Alfonso XII) where there are many different types of restaurants for you to choose from. 

HIGHLIGHTS: a scenic stage with walled border villages. Evora Chapel of bones.  

We will leave Seville on a stage of scenic beauty. Amidst hills and olive trees we will enter Extremadura. We will stop in JEREZ DE LOS CABALLEROS, this town belonged to the Knights Templar and is where Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was born. We will then enter Portugal. MONSARAZ, one of the most picturesque villages in Portugal with its walls, castle, great views and white and flowery streets.  We will travel on to the city EVORA, declared a World Heritage Site, with its white streets, its Renaissance palaces and its cathedral. Time for lunch.  We will also visit the impressive Chapel of Bones (admission included), built with 5000 skeletons! We will be arriving in LISBON toward the end of the day.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Visit Lisbon. Evening transfer.  

In the morning we will have a sightseeing tour with a local guide. We will visit the tra­ditional neighbourhoods including the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the Fifteenth Century. We will have a look around the Monument of the Discoveries, Belem Tower, and the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy the free afternoon when you are free to explore the city at your own leisure. In the late afternoon, we will have a transfer to the Restauradores Square, a public square with plenty of restaurants and cafes. We suggest you ride the Elevador Da Gloria funicular that takes you to the viewpoint of San Pedro with beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto. Return to the hotel.  

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Fatima Shrine.  Lunch included.    

Today we will travel to the north of Portugal and visit FATIMA, an important sanctuary (a pilgrimage site). We will continue on through the green lands of the centre, passing into Spain and then, over grasslands, we will cross the North of Extremadura. Lunch included en route at a regional cuisine restaurant.  We will travel on to MADRID where we will be arriving towards the end of the day.   

End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.